


Tell Me That You Want Me (I'll Stay)

by g_odalisque13



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Cat/Human Hybrids, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hybrids, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 17:30:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6619783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/g_odalisque13/pseuds/g_odalisque13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyungsoo never wanted a hybrid, but enter Lu Han's meddling and Zitao's sweet smile, and Kyungsoo might end up changing her mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Me That You Want Me (I'll Stay)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on September 28, 2014 on [LJ](http://g-odalisque13.livejournal.com/86474.html).

_"Come on, you deserve to relax a little," Lu Han told her, sprawled on Kyungsoo's leather couch with her feet over the back of it._

_"I do relax," Kyungsoo defended with a scowl, "On the weekends."_

_"And how is that?" Lu Han challenged, "With a crossword puzzle."_

_Kyungsoo glared, "Well, I_ try _, but then I get interrupted by_ certain people _."_

_Lu Han grinned like she'd been given a compliment._

_"I'm making sure you interact with people who aren't lawyers," she informed her, "It's very important for your mental health."_

_"Last time I checked, you were a writer, not a psychologist."_

_"I would have made an amazing psychologist, but whatever."_

_Kyungsoo rolled her eyes._

_"Anyway, my point is, getting a cat would be good for you," Lu Han told her, rolling off the couch and landing on the ground with a thump, "Companionship, happiness,_ et cetera _."_

 _“Okay,_ first _of all,” Kyungsoo started, not even bothering to comment on the fact that Lu Han was currently_ on the floor _, "You're not suggesting I get a_ cat _. You're suggesting I get a cat_ girl _. And secondly, I'm not even a pet person.”_

_“You say that like you're a people person,” Lu Han snorted. Having crawled back on the couch to sit like a normal person._

_“Exactly, so why would I want a catgirl when I don't want a pet and don't really like people?”_

_“Because you clearly don't get proper socialization anywhere else, so it would be good for you,” Lu Han reiterated._

_Kyungsoo was not convinced._

_“I know you're really happy with Jongdae, but having a catgirl just isn't for everyone, okay?”_

_Lu Han huffed, clearly disappointed by Kyungsoo's reaction to her suggestion._

_But Kyungsoo hadn't asked for advice. She was perfectly content the way she was and that was that._

_Except with Lu Han, it was never so simple._

_\---_

_Kyungsoo should have known better. She really should have._

_Dismissing a conversation with Lu Han didn't mean it was over. It just meant that they'd stopped talking about it for the time being._

_Usually, Lu Han would just bring it up again later and bug her._

_This time...this time Kyungsoo came home from work and nearly had a heart attack because she could tell someone had been in her apartment. And then there was the fact that she could hear some sort of...crying? (whimpering?_ yowling _?) coming from her bedroom._

_Considering a burglar probably wouldn't be crying, Kyungsoo surmised that she probably wasn't in any danger. But with that out of the way, this reeked of Lu Han. Why had she given her a key to her apartment?_

_With trepidation, Kyungsoo made her way to her bedroom and peered around the door frame to see...a girl, a catgirl (she should have known), curled up in her bed with the blankets a mess around her, gripping handfuls of the sheet as she cried._

_She looked fully grown (so she must have been a year old, at least, in human years- the age at which hybrids matured and started to age at the same rate as humans) and had shiny black hair that came down to her waist with sleek black ears perched atop her head and a matching black tail that was curled around herself._

_Kyungsoo imagined that she was probably incredibly striking, but at the moment, all she could focus on was the tears streaking down her face and the way she hunkered down in fear when she caught sight of Kyungsoo._

_Opening her mouth to offer some sort of reassurance to the crying creature, Kyungsoo realized that she had nothing and snapped it shut again._

_She tried again, "Um...hi. I'm Kyungsoo? I live here..."_

_The catgirl seemed to relax a little at that. Apparently she recognized the name and at least knew that Kyungsoo wasn't a danger._

_"I...I'll be right back," she said, intending to go call Lu Han before thinking of something else, "Do you need anything?"_

_The catgirl shook her head, sniffling and whimpering quietly._

_Kyungsoo mentally cursed Lu Han for bringing this poor girl into her schemes. She'd obviously gotten this catgirl from...somewhere and just left her alone in Kyungoo's home. Her friend had terrible ideas sometimes. Most of the time._

_"Okay, I'll be right back, okay?" she said, slowly backing out of the room and trying not to further traumatize the girl even though she had no idea what she was doing._

_The catgirl nodded and Kyungsoo hurried back into the kitchen to get her cell phone from her purse._

_"What the fuck, Lu Han?" she hissed as soon as her friend picked up._

_"Hello to you to," Lu Han scoffed._

_"Lu Han!" Kyungsoo quietly exclaimed, "You left a catgirl in my apartment without telling me and you want a proper greeting?"_

_"Isn't she gorgeous?" Lu Han asked, ignoring the fact the Kyungsoo was obviously not pleased, "When I saw her, I had to get her for you."_

_Kyungsoo kind of couldn't believe she was having this conversation. But then again, it was Lu Han, so she could._

_"Lu Han._ You left a catgirl in my house _."_

_"Surprise!" Lu Han crowed and Kyungsoo wanted to bang her head against the kitchen table._

_"What am I supposed to do with her?" she demanded._

_"I dunno," Lu Han said, sounding annoyed that Kyungsoo would even ask her such a ridiculous question, "Talk to her, feed her...be nice to her! I think she's sensitive."_

_Well, no shit._

_"Where did she even come from?"_

_"One of the most reputable breeders in the city," Lu Han told her proudly._

_"Give me the number," Kyungsoo said, exasperated._

_"Why?"_

_"I can't_ keep _her!" she whispered, making sure to stay quiet since she could still hear soft crying from her bedroom._

_"Sure you can!" Lu Han insisted, like there was no problem with this at all, "Anyway, Jongdae is hungry. I have to order food."_

_"Lu Han-"_

_"Bye!"_

_Lu Han hung up and Kyungsoo glared at her phone for a minute before remembering that there was a petrified catgirl in her bedroom that she needed to do something with. She could (and would) deal with Lu Han later._

_Taking a deep breath, she headed back to her bedroom, peering in at the distressed catgirl again._

_She seemed a little calmer now than she had when Kyungsoo had just gotten home, so that was good, but her cheeks were still wet with tears and her tail was wrapped tightly around her waist, fingers still clenched in the bedding._

_"I'm sorry Lu Han just left you here alone," she started, slowly making her way over to the bed, so as not to startle the catgirl, "She's kind of an idiot."_

_Kyungsoo saw a slight twitch of the girl's mouth that might have been almost an attempt at a smile and it sent relief through her. At least they could bond over Lu Han's stupidity._

_"What's your name?" she carefully asked, standing at the edge of the bed and trying to decide if she should sit down or not._

_The catgirl sniffed and took a shaky breath before replying softly, "Zitao."_

_She was looking up at Kyungsoo with watery, vulnerable eyes, and Kyungsoo found herself sinking down onto the edge of the bed and reaching out a tentative hand to soothingly stroke her shoulder._

_The sudden rumbling purr that sounded from Zitao's throat startled Kyungsoo enough that she nearly jerked her hand back before she realized what it was._

_She probably wasn't used to spending so much time alone. Who knew when Lu Han had brought her over? She could have been sitting in Kyungsoo's apartment for hours._

_"Lu Han said you came from a breeder?" Kyungsoo asked, trying to get a sense of what Zitao was used to. Sitting alone in strange apartments didn't seem to be on the short list of things Zitao usually did._

_Zitao nodded, looking like she was fighting against leaning into Kyungsoo's touch, even as she continued to purr._

_"Have you ever been away from there before?"_

_Zitao shook her head before quietly adding, "Just to go to the doctor."_

_"Did you usually spend time with other hybrids there?" Kyungsoo asked, getting brave and reaching up to stroke Zitao's hair, scratching at the base of her ears and smiling to herself when Zitao couldn't help herself from bending to give Kyungsoo better access._

_Zitao nodded, purring increasing in volume as her tail gradually loosened its hold on her torso to flick back and forth lazily._

_It was kind of relaxing to pet Zitao and watch how the tension drained from Zitao too._

_"Are you hungry?" she asked and Zitao paused for a moment before nodding again._

_"Okay, how about we find you something to eat and then you can sleep. You must be exhausted."_

_Zitao smiled at her, small and timid, but so sweet, and Kyungsoo was so happy to see that facial expression after all the tears._

_She just had to get Zitao through the night comfortably and then she could look into taking her back tomorrow._

\---  
Kyungsoo could see her phone lighting up where she had it sitting on her chair, safely out of sight of the rest of the meeting's attendees.

She'd told Zitao that she had an important meeting that day with the new company that her firm represented that would take a couple of hours at least. But without even checking her phone, she knew that it was Zitao texting her. No one else would text her eight times in five minutes. Well, maybe Lu Han, but she'd still put her money on Zitao.

Truthfully, she usually sighed at Zitao's excessive texting and calling, but she secretly thought it was kind of cute. Just the fact that she had things she thought were so important that they couldn't wait until Kyungsoo got home made her chuckle to herself.

But she'd never tell Zitao that. Mostly just because she knew that Zitao would just text her even more. And if that happened, she really _would_ be annoyed, rather than endeared.

Watching as her phone lit up again, Kyungsoo brought her attention to the task at hand. She had a presentation to make to the company's president, vice-president, and financial advisers.  
Whatever it was that Zitao was so excited about would have to wait.

\---

_Kyungsoo had intended to set up Zitao in the guest bedroom, but when she'd told Zitao that she meant for her to sleep alone, the catgirl had panicked- fearful eyes tearing and a whimper escaping her throat._

_"You've never slept alone, have you?" Kyungsoo had guessed, and Zitao had shook her head, clutching the pajamas Kyungsoo had given her too her chest._

_Kyungsoo wasn't really keen on having a stranger in her bed with her, but she couldn't bring herself to make her sleep alone._

_So, she'd allowed a grateful Zitao to share her queen sized bed._

_It was only temporary anyway, she told herself._

_The following day, she called Lu Han as soon as she got to work, intent on getting the number of the breeder where she had gotten Zitao._

_But of course, she couldn't get a hold of Lu Han all day- finally getting a text with the breeder's number when she was on the subway on her way home from work that evening at nearly six o'clock._

_She didn't even know if they would answer their phone so late in the day, but she still tried after dinner when Zitao was in the living room, splayed on the couch, and watching something on TV._

_To her surprise, someone picked up._

_"Hello? I'm calling about a hybrid my friend purchased from you yesterday," she told them, hoping that the process of returning Zitao to the breeder wasn't going to be a huge hassle._

_"Is there a problem?" the voice on the phone asked._

_"Yes. Well, no. You see, my friend purchased the hybrid for me without checking with me first, so I'm going to need to return her to you."_

_"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible," the voice said matter-of-factly._

_"Excuse me?" she asked, dumbfounded. She hadn't expected outright refusal._

_"It is against our policy to take back any hybrids after they've been sold."_

_"But-" Kyungsoo was at a loss, "I wasn't the one who purchased her."_

_"We cannot take her back," the voice reiterated, and Kyungsoo started to panic._

_"I don't need a refund," she tried, because whatever- Lu Han could deal, "I just want to bring her back."_

_"We cannot take back any hybrids after they've been sold," the voice repeated and Kyungsoo felt her patience snap._

_"What am I supposed to_ do _then?" she demanded, still trying to keep her voice down, "I can't_ keep _her!"_

_"Then you'll have to take her to a shelter."_

_"There has to be_ something _you can do!" Kyungsoo insisted._

_"If you need any resources for how to care of your hybrid, please give us a call."_

_That was a dismissal if Kyungsoo had ever heard one._

_She said goodbye hollowly, still reeling._

_She'd never imagined that she wouldn't be able to return Zitao. She had been prepared for a lot of paperwork and possibly not being able to get Lu Han's money back, but she hadn't been prepared for an unwavering_ no _._

_The only option seemed to be taking her to a shelter, but...Kyungsoo couldn't do that. She couldn't take this poor girl who'd already been taken from the only home she'd known and deposit her in a shelter, which would, no doubt, be far less comfortable than what she was used to. Who knew how long she'd have to stay there, in a cramped room with just the bare essentials, until someone adopted her? And what if she got adopted by someone awful?_

_Kyungsoo had a heart, even if Lu Han liked to claim she didn't. She couldn't do that to Zitao._

_So that left...keeping her._

_Kyungsoo took a deep breath._

_She'd never intended to get a hybrid- not now and not in the future. But it appeared that she no longer had a choice in the matter._

_She was going to_ kill _Lu Han._

_At least, she reasoned with herself, she could afford to take care of Zitao's expenses and meet her needs._

_Maybe she wasn't the best person in the world to take care of her, but she couldn't risk Zitao ending up with someone worse._

_She'd just have to figure it out. She'd make it work. She had to._

\---

Kyungsoo sat at her desk trying to finish up the paperwork her boss had given her that afternoon.

She'd be able to leave at her regular time, in an hour, if she finished all of it.

Despite the fact that she'd told Zitao that when she'd responded to one of her many texts (one she'd sent after lunch in which she sent a photo of the leftovers she'd warmed up in the microwave for herself, as if Kyungsoo wasn't the one who'd cooked the food to begin with), Zitao was still texting her three hours later. About what? Kyungsoo didn't know because she'd been very pointedly not checking her phone. Not that she didn't want to see how many selcas Zitao had sent her since she'd last looked, but because she just wanted to get her work done so she could go home and see Zitao in person.

Whatever it was, it could surely wait.

But when her phone buzzed six times in one minute, Kyungsoo sighed a picked her phone up from where it was sitting in the corner of her desk.

The most recent three texts read:

_When are you getting home?_

_How's work going? ~~_

_I emailed you the link to a funny video I saw on youtube ^^_

Kyungsoo sighed again, but couldn't ignore the slight, involuntary quirk of her lips.

She could imagine Zitao sitting at home on their couch, wriggling around impatiently and making pouty faces as she texted her and Kyungsoo didn't respond.

Despite the image she presented to the world, she was kind of soft at heart. Secretly. And only when it came to Zitao.

 _Taozi_ , she chided via text, _I can't watch videos now if you want me to hurry up and get home._

The reply was immediate.

_Okay~ Hurry, please~_

Kyungsoo smiled to herself. She couldn't help that she found it endearing that Zitao managed to miss her when she'd only been gone for a matter of hours.

But the next text, which popped up before her phone screen had even turned off, had heat rushing through her.

_Mistress~_

Just one word and Kyungsoo could feel her body reacting.

Some hybrids were made to call their owner master or mistress, but that was not something that Kyungsoo had ever required of Zitao. Behaving like Zitao was a lesser being made her uncomfortable, so the last thing she'd ever wanted was for Zitao to have to call her something like _mistress_.

And Zitao never had- had never even tried when Kyungsoo had first gotten her.

Then, one day some months after their relationship had evolved to include intimacy and sex (something else Kyungoo had never thought she'd want), Zitao had gasped out _mistress_ in the bedroom with a wicked gleam in her eye and Kyungsoo couldn't help how she'd shivered in response- if only because of the way Zitao managed to make everything sexy.

But because Kyungsoo was so concerned about Zitao thinking that she was lesser somehow, she had asked her about it later. She didn't want Zitao calling her that because she thought she _had_ to or because she thought it would make Kyungsoo happy.

Fortunately, Zitao had been quick to tell her that wasn't the case. Rather, she'd informed her that she'd been thinking (with her hand between her legs while Kyungsoo was at work, more often than not) about what it would be like to have Kyungsoo control her in the bedroom. It was kind of funny because Kyungsoo knew that if she tried to control Zitao outside the bedroom, it would not go over well. So, it was a good thing she didn't have any desire to.

In the bedroom, however, Zitao wanted her to order her around and tell her what she was allowed to do and praise her when she did a good job. It had still worried Kyungsoo a bit because she was so careful to avoid a pet/owner relationship with Zitao. But Zitao had eventually worn her down with lots of persuasive speech making outside of the bedroom and lots of begging with half lidded eyes and breathy moans _in_ the bedroom.

So, embarrassingly, just the utterance of the word _mistress_ from Zitao had Kyungsoo's mind skyrocketing to Zitao looking up at her with her dark hair spread out on her pillow and her lips swollen from kisses.

Kyungsoo took a deep breath. She had more control than to let herself be completely thrown off by one word in a text message. As powerful of a word as it was. Her patience was something that allowed her to keep her wits when Zitao was coming apart at the seams.

Carefully placing her phone back in the corner of her desk, Kyungsoo looked back at the contracts in front of her.

Work now. She'd deal with Zitao later.

\---

_It had been two weeks and Kyungsoo had done everything she could to make Zitao comfortable, but it seemed that Zitao wasn't getting any more used to living with her._

_The catgirl seemed to pull into herself more each day, not wanting to talk and not even letting Kyungsoo pet her like she had the first night. Though she still slept in Kyungsoo's bed, Zitao seemed to want nothing to do with her otherwise._

_Kyungsoo was at a loss._

_She'd called Lu Han and asked for advice, but Lu Han had just told her to be nicer and that she was probably giving Zitao judgmental stares without meaning to, because apparently, that's just what she did._

_As it often was, Lu Han's advice was useless._

_Kyungsoo's only remaining option was to talk to Zitao and get her to tell her what was wrong. Maybe she really missed her old home. Or Kyungsoo was doing something to make her uncomfortable._

_She just hoped that Zitao would tell her so she could do her best to fix it._

_Getting a hybrid may not have been in Kyungsoo's plans, but now that she had one, she was determined to be a good owner._

_“Zitao,” she said, carefully sitting down on the couch a few feet away from the catgirl one night after dinner, “Can I talk to you?”_

_The fear that flashed behind Zitao's eyes took Kyungsoo completely off guard. Was Zitao afraid of her? What could she have done to have instilled that kind of reaction in Zitao?_

_“I'm worried about you,” Kyungsoo told her honestly and Zitao looked dejected, “It just seems like you're not settling in well and I want to know what I can do to...” she trailed off, “Zitao? Why are you crying?”_

_Sometime in the middle of that sentence, fat tears had started rolling down Zitao's cheeks and Kyungsoo found herself feeling helpless to do anything. She had been trying so hard to make Zitao comfortable, but it seemed that everything she did just made the catgirl even more unhappy._

_“I'm sorry,”Zitao sobbed, “I'll do better. I promise.”_

_Kyungsoo frowned, “Do better? Do better at what?”_

_“Anything,” Zitao told her earnestly, “Tell me what you want from me, and I'll try. Please don't send me away.”_

_Zitao's face crumpled further at the end of her plea, sobs shaking her shoulders as she hiccuped and sniffled._

_Kyungsoo was dumbfounded. Had she made Zitao feel like she had failed her in some way?_

_“Send you away?” she questioned, leaning forward but hesitating to create any contact between them since Zitao had been shying away from her so often._

_“I know you don't want me,” Zitao said, voice breaking and breath short, “I know you tried to send me back to the breeder, but they wouldn't take me. I heard you on the phone. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been listening but-” she broke off to inhale shakily- the exhale catching on a sob._

_Kyungsoo felt like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. She'd never meant for Zitao to hear that conversation. Because none of this was her fault. It was Lu Han's fault, mostly. And her own fault. Zitao had done absolutely nothing wrong, and yet here she was, sobbing in Kyungsoo's living room because she thought she was inadequate._

_Kyungsoo's heart was breaking with every tear that slid down Zitao's cheeks._

_“I'm so sorry,” were the first words out of her mouth, “I didn't know you heard that phone call...I don't want you to have to be something for me. You haven't done anything wrong, okay?”_

_Zitao sniffled in response, not meeting her eyes._

_“It's true that I...I wasn't looking to get a hybrid. So, when I came home and you were here, I was really unprepared. But that wasn't your fault!” she assured her, “And so I thought the best thing would be to let you go back to breeder where you'd get to be adopted by someone who could be a better owner to you. Obviously, that didn't work out, but it wasn't that I didn't_ want _you.”_

_And despite how angry she'd been at Lu Han and how panicked she'd been to have a hybrid suddenly thrust into her life, she'd never felt like she didn't want Zitao. She'd just felt like she couldn't keep her._

_“But now that you're here,” Kyungsoo went on, hoping so much that Zitao would stop crying because she felt like she might just start crying and she_ never _cried, “I really want to be the best owner that I can be for you. I want to make this work.”_

_Zitao still wasn't looking at her and Kyungsoo abruptly remembered how Zitao had been avoiding her._

_“Unless you don't want to stay here,” she added, regretful that she might have managed to hurt Zitao enough that she would never want anything to do with her, “In which case...I don't know what we'll do, but we'll figure out something. I won't take you to a shelter, or anything. We'll just...have to find another home for you. Somehow.”_

_“No!”_

_Kyungsoo was startled by the sudden outburst after Zitao had avoided even looking at her the entire time she'd been talking._

_“Please. I want to stay here.”_

_Zitao seemed to shrink back into herself then, like maybe she shouldn't have said that.  
“Okay,” Kyungsoo agreed, eyes wide as she watched Zitao look at her in surprise, “You can stay here. I know I haven't been the greatest owner so far, but I'll do my best.”_

_“You're a good owner!” Zitao insisted, looking scandalized by Kyungsoo saying otherwise._

_Kyungsoo couldn't help but snort, lips quirking sardonically._

_“I don't think good owners make their...pets?” that word didn't seem quite right, but Zitao didn't appear to have any aversion to it, “feel like they're not wanted.”_

_Zitao shrugged and mumbled, “I like you.”_

_Kyungsoo didn't know how that was possible. She'd caused Zitao so much hurt. But the fact that Zitao still seemed to like her had her feeling warm._

_“I like you too,” Kyungsoo told her and Zitao's head snapped up in surprise._

_Kyungsoo found herself smiling at how adorable she was._

_Before she could think better of it, she held out an arm- an invitation for Zitao to come lean into her side like she'd seen Jongdae do with Lu Han so many times._

_Zitao looked cautious, but she scooted over, carefully relaxing into Kyungsoo's side._

_It was a bit different than when Jongdae cuddled up to Lu Han considering Zitao was possibly an entire foot taller than her, but the feeling of Zitao's warm weight against her had her relaxing as well._

_As she played with Zitao's hair as they watched TV and Zitao purred- rumbling against her side- Kyungsoo felt like they were going to be okay._

\---

Letting herself into her apartment, Kyungsoo was surprised when she wasn't immediately accosted by a needy, clingy catgirl.

But Zitao hadn't texted her since she'd responded to Kyungsoo's text that she was coming home, so maybe she'd found something to occupy herself.

"Zitao?" she called out, stepping out of her shoes and hanging her purse from the back of one of the kitchen chairs, "I'm home."

"Don't come in the bedroom!" was Zitao's frantic reply, and Kyungsoo paused, confused.

"...why?"

"I'm not done getting ready!" Zitao yelled, sounding harried and Kyungsoo couldn't help but snort.

What did Zitao have to get ready for anyway?

And it wasn't like they were on a time schedule.

Rolling her eyes fondly, Kyungsoo shrugged out of her blazer and rolled up her shirt sleeves.

"Okay, I won't come in," she assured her, walking over to the freezer in stocking-clad feet to get out the chicken she'd bought the week prior, "I'm just going to start dinner!"

"Okay!" Zitao called brightly, "Be out soon!"

Kyungsoo chuckled quietly to herself. Zitao was definitely...unique. But she loved her all the same.

\---

_With everything on the table, things started to get better. Zitao no longer avoided Kyungsoo when she was home from work- answering the questions Kyungsoo peppered her with with a shy smile._

_As more time went by, Zitao began to be the one instigating their conversations- telling Kyungsoo about the other hybrids she knew from the breeder, about something she'd seen online that day, or asking about Kyungsoo's job- and Kyungsoo wondered how she ever could have thought Zitao was quiet. The way she enthusiastically told Kyungsoo about even the smallest thing made Kyungsoo smile._

_The first few weeks saw Zitao hesitantly sitting down next to Kyungsoo on the couch and smiling brightly when Kyungsoo initiated any physical contact. After she became more comfortable, however, Zitao would crowd into Kyungsoo's space regardless of what Kyungsoo was doing and demand attention. She couldn't even count the times when she'd been on the couch with a book and Zitao had draped herself across her lap, squirming around until Kyungsoo began to stroke her ears._

_Going from living alone to having a clingy, chatty catgirl trailing around behind her was quite a change, but as much as Kyungsoo loathed to admit when Lu Han was right, she couldn't deny how much happier she'd become since Zitao came into her life._

_But just because she felt it, didn't mean she told Lu Han. Because Lu Han was annoying enough._

_Still, she found herself talking a lot about Zitao when she spoke with her best friend- the two of them swapping stories about Zitao and Jongdae._

_“See, you think Jongdae is just so nice, but she'll suddenly just come out with the most biting remarks,” Lu Han was telling her, “And I swear she's always there when I do something stupid and she'll never let me forget it.”_

_“I think it's more that you do stupid stuff all the time,” Kyungsoo ventured to guess and Lu Han made a face at her, bringing her coffee cup to her lips._

_“You know, it's weird,” Kyungsoo mused when Lu Han didn't immediately jump in with another anecdote, “I know she's part cat, but sometimes I'll forget until she does something really feline.”_

_Lu Han nodded, so Kyungsoo was encouraged to continue._

_“Like, I never even thought about the fact that most cats hate water in regards to hybrids, but Zitao hates showering alone.”_

_Lu Han's eyes widened at that as her lips quirked, facial expression quickly turning suggestive._

_“You shower with her?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows and Kyungsoo kept herself from reaching across the table to punch Lu Han on the arm._

_“I sit in the bathroom,” Kyungsoo clarified._

_“What good does that do?” Lu Han snorted._

_“She's afraid to shower alone so she's talks to me while she does it,” Kyungsoo informed her, brows furrowing, “Jongdae isn't afraid to shower by herself?”_

_“No,” Lu Han laughed, “She's perfectly okay with showering alone. Of course, that doesn't mean we never shower_ together... _”_

_“Too much information,” Kyungsoo told her flatly, holding up a hand as Lu Han cackled._

_“She's really got you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?” Lu Han asked, looking supremely pleased with herself._

_Kyungsoo blinked at her with as much disdain as she could muster._

_“Look, if she's scared to shower alone, I'm not going to force her to and scar her.”_

_Lu Han shrugged, still seeming smug._

_“Is she scared of the dark too? Does she sleep in your bed with you?” she joked and Kyungsoo frowned, “Oh my god, she does!”_

_“She's sensitive,” Kyungsoo defended, parroting the words Lu Han had told her when she'd first come home to find Zitao in her bed._

_Lu Han grinned, but dropped it, going on to complain about how difficult Jongdae had been that morning, unwilling to let Lu Han get out of bed for an hour after her alarm had gone off._

_Even so, it was pretty clear that Zitao wasn't your average hybrid as far as her quirks. It figured that Kyungsoo, who typically had no time for anyone's nonsense, ended up with the neediest catgirl known to man. But despite the fact that she could have had a catgirl who_ didn't _need Kyungsoo to sit in the bathroom while she showered and who didn't walk around attached to Kyungsoo after she'd watched something she deemed scary on TV, Kyungsoo didn't feel any regret that it was Zitao that she'd come home to find in her apartment._

 _Zitao was needy and clingy and sensitive, but she was_ hers _. And that thought didn't scare Kyungsoo as much as she'd thought it would._

\---

It wasn't until Kyungsoo was halfway through dinner prep that Zitao emerged from the bedroom. And it became clear what she'd meant by _getting ready_.

Zitao was in a green and black bra made up of lace and mesh. There was an under wire, but no padding, so it was basically sheer. She wore matching underwear that was only lined right at the crotch, so they rest was sheer like the bra. Black thigh-highs cut into the flesh of Zitao's thighs and she was wearing black patent heels with a t-strap and a peep-toe.

Her hair, which was always gorgeous and shiny, looked like it had been blown out- the ends curled in loose, bouncy curls that framed Zitao's flawless cleavage.

Zitao had even amped up her usual makeup look with deep pewter shadow and dramatic liner that had her eyes looking even more feline than usual.

She was a sight to behold and Kyungsoo was amazed, not for the first time, that this woman was hers to kiss and touch, and that Zitao seemed to want her just as much. More, sometimes.

But for as enticing as her visage was, Kyungsoo was just as endeared as she was aroused. The fact that Zitao had spent all of this time getting dressed up for her was really sweet. Kyungsoo honestly could not have cared less whether or not Zitao was in lingerie or a princess costume (that _had_ happened once) or sweat pants or a snowsuit. And she made sure that Zitao knew it.

Nonetheless, Zitao loved to dress up for her and Kyungsoo certainly couldn't complain. At least as long as it didn't endanger anyone (Kyungsoo could recall a particular time when Zitao had insisted on keeping her heels on during sex and nearly poked Kyungsoo's eye out).

"So?" Zitao prompted, leaning against the kitchen table to give Kyungsoo an opportunity to fully take in her get-up.

Kyungsoo raised her eyebrows in amusement, giving the once-over she knew Zitao was waiting for even though she'd already absorbed how Zitao looked from head to toe when she'd stepped into the kitchen.

“You look gorgeous as always, Taozi,” she told her and held back the laugh when Zitao pouted at the response. She knew that Zitao wanted her to drop everything and ravish her that very instant. But Kyungsoo preferred to make her wait, liking to watch Zitao squirm and huff for a while before she gave her what she wanted. Plus, she knew that it would be so much better once Zitao eventually got her way and dragged Kyungsoo off to the bedroom.

“But I've been waiting _all day_ ,” Zitao whined and Kyungsoo's lips quirked.

“Then why don't you help me with dinner so it's finished faster?”

Zitao sighed, but came over to stand next to Kyungsoo where she was chopping up some bell peppers.

“You can put olive oil in that pan,” Kyungsoo told her, gesturing toward the stove.

Zitao blinked at the empty pan, ears flicking in discontent.

“Or don't,” Kyungsoo amended, “But if you're not going to, please move so I'm not bumping into you while I'm trying to cook.”

“I'm going,” Zitao muttered, tail swishing and almost hitting Kyungsoo on the arm.

Zitao did, indeed, help. Kind of.

Though the whole time she alternated between sighing and trying to enticingly position her body- bending over and waving her ass in the air or leaning against the counter so her breasts were spilling over the cups of her bra.

But every time Zitao pressed her tits together or stretched her arms over her head to make her waist look smaller, Kyungsoo just looked at her impassively and gave her another task to do- biting back a smile at the ensuing pouts.

As Kyungsoo finished up their meal, Zitao seemed adamant about pressing as much of herself against Kyungsoo as possible. First she melded against Kyungsoo's back, nuzzling into the back of her neck. Then when Kyungsoo had to move away to get the chicken out of the oven, Zitao followed her and latched onto her arm- flicking her tail so it hit the backs of Kyungsoo's knees.

"Zitao, if you don't move, I'm going to end up burning you," Kyungsoo warned her, waiting until Zitao let go with a huff before opening the oven door to get their food.

But Zitao was back with her chin hooked over Kyungsoo's shoulder as she served up their portions and set the plates down on the table.

"Ready to eat?" she asked, not expecting any sort of enthusiasm since Zitao seemed to have only one thing on her mind.

Still, Zitao sat down at the table and began to eat, gaining speed as she went until Kyungsoo was left staring at her in amazement with her fork poised midair as Zitao shoveled food into her mouth.

Zitao had always had a healthy appetite, but this was ridiculous.

"You'll make yourself sick," she chided, cutting another bite of chicken for herself, "Slow down."

Zitao looked at her- cheeks bulging with food and Kyungsoo barely contained the laugh that rose at the sight. For someone who'd spent the last hour trying to look as sexy as possible, she certainly had taken a dramatic turn.

"Wanna finish fast," was what Kyungsoo was pretty sure she said, though it was hard to tell since she was speaking with her mouth full of food.

"I got that," she informed her with a judgmental raise of her brows and a quirk of her lips, "But you're not going to want to do anything if you feel like you're going to explode."

Zitao gulped down her mouthful just to tell Kyungsoo that she'd be fine with a stubborn tilt of her chin before she was eating again and Kyungsoo knew a losing battle when she saw it.

They often had nice long dinners together where they'd sit at the table for hours after they'd finished eating just talking, but today was obviously not one of those days.

Kyungsoo decided to just let Zitao do whatever it was she wanted and eat at her own pace. She couldn't force Zitao to slow down, but she wasn't going to rush through her own dinner and give herself indigestion.

\---

_Once Zitao had been a part of Kyungsoo's life for three months, Kyungsoo found herself more and more unable and more unwilling to imagine her life without her. She'd gotten used to coming home from work to find Zitao eagerly awaiting her arrival, immediately glomming onto her and telling her some story that it seemed she'd been bursting to tell all day. The idea of coming home to an empty apartment like she had without complaint for so long left a hollow feeling in her chest that she didn't want to think too hard about._

_Still, she was aware of the fact that she'd stopped thinking of Zitao's presence as temporary and had started to view her as a permanent part of her life. She was also aware that she owed it to Zitao to let her know that her place with Kyungsoo was something she could be certain of- that Kyungsoo wanted her there and didn't plan to change her mind._

_Zitao had become so much more comfortable and open with her in the past few months, but she still caught the brief flashes of insecurity on Zitao's face every once in a while, like she was worried that she'd crossed a line and Kyungsoo might tell her that she didn't want her anymore. She deserved to be able to live with the surety that her place with Kyungsoo wasn't uncertain like she seemed to think it was and that she was welcome as long as she wanted to stay._

_Over the course of the past few months, Lu Han had been bugging her to get Zitao a collar or something that symbolized Kyungsoo's ownership over her. Kyungsoo had resisted simply because she wasn't comfortable with owning Zitao like she was a lesser being. But maybe it didn't have to mean that Zitao was her property. Maybe it could be a gesture to show Zitao that she was wanted and that Kyungsoo wanted her as a permanent part of her life._

_Her first thought was to buy Zitao a collar as a surprise, but she quickly dismissed that idea. If there was one thing she'd learned about Zitao, it was that she was very particular. When they'd gone shopping for things for Zitao to call her own- clothes, toiletries, shoes, small decorative items for the room she rarely used- Zitao took great care in picking each item out, not hesitating to wave off any suggestions from Kyungsoo that she didn't like. So, Kyungsoo decided it would be better for Zitao to pick out her own collar._

_That Saturday, Kyungsoo herded Zitao into the car (after an inordinate amount of time it had taken the catgirl to get ready to go out), telling her that she needed to pick up a few things and that Zitao could get some things for herself if she saw anything she wanted._

_Zitao was chattering happily to her as they entered the department store, not even paying attention to where they were headed until Kyungsoo stopped at the small department that sold collars._

_Zitao looked at the racks of collars with wide eyes, turning to Kyungsoo with parted lips and a question that she seemed unable to voice._

_Suddenly Kyungsoo was worried about whether or not Zitao would even want a collar._

_“Since you've been with me for more than three months now, I thought maybe you'd want a collar,” she explained, “If you don't want one, that's fine. But if you want one, you can pick one out. I don't want you to feel like you have to or that it makes you_ property _, but just know that you are welcome to stay with me for as long as you want to. It can be permanent, if you want.”_

_Zitao was still silent and Kyungsoo was getting worried that she'd misread her._

_She was about to assure Zitao, again, that it was fine if she didn't want to get a collar, but then Zitao made a sound and Kyungsoo realized that she was_ crying _._

_“What's wrong?” she asked, pulling Zitao over to the side of the walkway and away from the prying eyes of the salesgirl._

_“I just-” Zitao started, sucking in a shaky breath, “Thank you.”_

_Then she had her arms full of a teary, warm catgirl- Zitao still murmuring thank you's into her shoulder- and Kyungsoo didn't know whether to be happy that Zitao was so touched or horrified by how unsure she must have been feeling this whole time if this was how relieved she was._

_“You don't need to thank me,” she assured her, rubbing her back and feeling a little embarrassed by the attention they were getting from the other shoppers. But still, she didn't let go until Zitao pulled away to shoot her a watery smile- sniffling and wiping her eyes._

_They spent two hours in the tiny corner of the department store that was devoted to collars- Zitao seeming to try on nearly every single one before finally settling on a black leather collar with brushed gold studs in the shape of diamonds._

_It was a good thing Kyungsoo let Zitao pick her own collar out considering she'd turned down Kyungsoo's basic black suggestions._

_As soon as Kyungsoo had paid, Zitao had asked Kyungsoo to put the collar on her- proudly wearing it as they finished their shopping and looking at herself in every reflective surface they passed._

_From that day on, Zitao put her collar on every morning when she woke up- claiming to feel naked if she wasn't wearing it. Kyungsoo told her again and again that she shouldn't feel like she had to wear it, but Zitao always looked at her like she was crazy- insisting that she wanted to._

_And even if Kyungsoo didn't want to admit it, seeing the strip of black leather around Zitao's throat had her chest feeling warm every time._  
  
\---

When she was about halfway finished with her dinner, Zitao stood abruptly- chair scraping against the wood floor.

“Done!” she announced, still chewing.

Kyungsoo looked up at her, unimpressed.

“Be right back!” Zitao said, taking her plate to the kitchen and then disappearing into the bathroom where Kyungsoo could hear her brushing her teeth.

Two minutes later, when Kyungsoo was taking a bite of potato, Zitao came back into the kitchen- an overly sensual sway to her hips that seemed to mark the end of her rush to finish dinner and the return to her attempts to appear as attractive as possible.

Kyungsoo didn't pay her any heed. She said she was going to finish her dinner, and that's what she intended to do.

Zitao appeared a bit disappointed that Kyungsoo was still eating, but didn't say anything. Instead, made her way over to the couch that separated the kitchen from the living room and leaned against the back of it- hip slighted jutted out so the curve of her waist was accentuated. Running her fingers through her hair, Zitao tipped head head to the side so her neck was exposed, curls falling over her shoulder.

She was gorgeous. There was no denying that. Kyungsoo appreciated how beautiful Zitao was every single day, whether Zitao was trying to look attractive or not. And she appreciated it at that moment. But she was also just trying to finish her dinner, so she gave Zitao a cursory glance before cutting herself another bite of chicken.

Zitao's sigh was audible and Kyungsoo hid her smile by ducking her head as she stabbed a few vegetables with her fork.

When she looked up next, Zitao was leaning over the back of the couch with her back arched down so her butt was in the air, tail swishing back and forth slowly as Zitao swayed her hips slightly.

Subtlety was not one of Zitao's strong suits.

Zitao glanced over her shoulder to see if Kyungsoo was looking at her and nearly tipped over in her heels.

Stumbling slightly and making a racket against the hard wood floor, Zitao righted herself- facing Kyungsoo now with her hands braced on the back of the couch.

“I'm fine,” she informed her casually.

Kyungsoo hummed in acknowledgment as she chewed.

“I know you were worried!” Zitao told her, defiant, and Kyungsoo had to stop herself from laughing.

“I wasn't,” she informed her coolly and watched with amusement as Zitao very nearly pouted before schooling her expression into something more sensual.

As if Kyungsoo didn't know that Zitao was trying not to whine at her. As though it would have made her want her any less.

For the remainder of Kyungsoo's meal, Zitao continued to pose- trying to look enticing and casual all at once like Kyungsoo might think that maybe she just wanted to bend at the waist to rest her elbows on the kitchen table with no agenda to flash Kyungsoo her cleavage.

But Kyungsoo didn't call her out- preferring to watch her occasionally as she ate and feel endearment swell in her chest enough that she wanted to pull Zitao down and give her a wet kiss on the cheek. She kept herself from doing so, however, since this was all gearing up to sex, during which Zitao liked for Kyungsoo to be dominant and tell her what to do with a firmness she only pretended to have with Zitao on a daily basis that they both knew Zitao could (and would) walk right through if she didn't like what Kyungsoo was saying.

So she remained firm, watching as Zitao licked her lips in anticipation of what was to come.

\---

_It was a Friday in early fall when Kyungsoo came home from work and, for once, Zitao wasn't there to greet her._

_It wasn't that Kyungsoo needed Zitao to be waiting for her at the door every day, but the fact that it was so out of the ordinary had Kyungsoo immediately worried._

_Putting her purse down on a kitchen chair, Kyungsoo ventured into the living room to see if Zitao was immersed in something on TV. But she wasn't there. Next, she checked her own bedroom to she of Zitao was taking a nap. Nope._

_She wasn't in the master bathroom either._

_Finally, Kyungsoo went to check Zitao's room even though Zitao was so rarely in there since she slept in Kyungsoo's bed._

_But sure enough, the door was pulled partially closed and Kyungsoo could hear movement inside._

_Pushing the door open to ask what Zitao wanted for dinner, Kyungsoo froze in her tracks-greeted with a scene that she had been in no way prepared for._

_Zitao was splayed out in her bed, naked save for her collar, with her black hair spread out on her pillow and sticking to her temples and forehead with sweat. All of her skin was glistening with sweat- the setting sun that was shining in the window giving Zitao an almost otherworldly sheen. Her ears were flat against her head and her tail was flicking back and forth agitatedly._

_Most notably, however, was the way Zitao's fingers were moving between her legs- alternately plunging into herself and rubbing feverishly at her clit._

_Kyungsoo immediately averted her eyes, entire body feeling like it was on fire._

_“I'm so sorry!” she apologized, already starting to back out of the room, “I should have knocked. I'll just-”_

_“No! You don't understand!” Zitao insisted, sounding frantic with her hand still moving against herself, “It's my heat. I can't help it.”_

_Her_ heat _. The words hit Kyungsoo like a punch in the chest._

_Of course she knew that hybrids had heats. She'd learned about it in school. But somehow, she'd managed to push that fact away in regards to Zitao. She'd just thought...she didn't know what she'd thought. But she hadn't been ready for this._

_“I- do you...do you need anything?” Kyungsoo asked dumbly, still working to keep her eyes away from between Zitao's spread legs._

_“Please, help me,” Zitao begged and Kyungsoo felt her stomach lurch with nerves even though Zitao surely couldn't have meant- “I've heard that it works better if someone else does it. I don't know I just-”_

_She trailed off, body shuddering and eyes closing as her fingers pressed against her clit and her hips bucked._

_Had she just-_

_But she barely paused to take a breath before she was pushing her fingers into herself and looking at Kyungsoo again._

_“Please,” she repeated, frenzied, “It's not just because of my heat. I mean, I've wanted you but didn't know if you'd be uncomfortable, so I didn't ask. And I'm so sorry for asking now, but oh_ god _, I'm going crazy!”_

_Kyungsoo was speechless, body thrumming and mind racing._

_“I-” she started, feeling panicked, “Hold on. I'll be right back.”_

_With that, she turned and stumbled back into the kitchen on shaky legs, grabbing for her purse and digging her phone out._

_“Why didn't you warn me about heats?” Kyungsoo barked as soon as Lu Han answered her phone._

_Lu Han was silent for a second before she snorted._

_“I thought you knew. It's common knowledge, Soo.”_

_“I mean, I know about the existence of heats and why they happen, but_ what am I supposed to do _? Do you help Jongdae?”_

_“Of course!” Lu Han laughed like it was the most obvious thing in the world._

_Kyungsoo sputtered, still able to hear Zitao moaning in the other room._

_"Do you want to fuck her? Are you attracted to her?" Lu Han asked, like it was the simplest thing in the world._

_“I-” Kyungsoo halted, not quite liking how quickly the answer came to her, “...yes? But shouldn't we talk about this first? This is really sudden!"_

_“Kyungsoo,” Lu Han said, sounding fondly exasperated, "If you wanted to talk about it first, you probably should have brought it up before she hit her heat cycle and got horny enough to hump random objects."_

_Kyungsoo made a noise of frustration._

_"Yes, that's how she feels except times a thousand,” Lu Han informed her, “You should probably go fuck her now.”_

_Before she knew it and before she could agonize further, Lu Han had told her goodbye and hung up, leaving Kyungsoo standing in her kitchen with her heart pounding and Zitao's muffled groans sounding from the other room._

_Okay. She should just think of this as another one of Zitao's needs. Like food and water and mascara that doesn't clump. It was something else she could do for her, like sit in the bathroom while she showered or let her keep the bathroom light as a sort of night light on the nights when Zitao had gotten herself freaked out over something or another._

_It was just like that._

_Except for the part where Kyungsoo wanted it for herself, too._

_So, maybe it was more like petting Zitao as they watched TV after dinner. It was for Zitao, but Kyungsoo enjoyed it as well._

_Yes, just like that. She could do it._

_She took a deep breath and forced herself to walk back to Zitao's room. She'd said she'd be right back, but she'd already been gone for probably ten minutes._

_When she stepped back into the room, Zitao looked even more wrecked than she had before- eyes glazed as she looked at her pleadingly._

_“I'll...help,” she told her, feeling a shiver of want go through her at Zitao's relieved whimper, “What do you want me to do?”_

_“Your mouth. Oh fuck, Kyungsoo, your_ mouth _,” she babbled, “Your mouth is so- and your lips and I just- please!”_

_Kyungsoo nearly choked on her own tongue. Clearly Zitao wasn't pulling any punches._

_Hushing her and trying to calm her down, Kyungsoo climbed onto the bed and tried not to show how affected she was by the way Zitao spread her legs even further in invitation._

_Idly, she wondered how different this would be if Zitao wasn't in heat, but she quickly pushed the thought aside in order to help Zitao, who had started squirming in impatience._

_If it was up to her, she'd have liked to take her time and watch as Zitao slowly lost control. But she was pretty sure Zitao's control had disappeared hours ago. And besides, she knew that this was about Zitao, and Zitao needed her right that second._

_Throwing caution to the wind in a very un-Kyungsoo-like fashion, Kyungsoo braced her hands against Zitao's perfect thighs and licked up her arousal- feeling Zitao's moan of appreciation shoot straight between her own legs._

_She could feel how desperately turned on Zitao was- so slick and hot against her lips and tongue, her clit throbbing as she lapped at it. Zitao's whole body was shuddering- muscles in her legs and ass and stomach jumping with every swipe of Kyungsoo's tongue._

_Zitao's fingers ended up tangled in Kyungsoo's hair, tugging lightly as she moaned and sobbed out her pleasure._

_Clenching her own thighs together against a wave of arousal, Kyungsoo slid two fingers into Zitao as she stiffened her tongue and rapidly flicked it against Zitao's clit._

_With a cry of Kyungsoo's name, Zitao came against her mouth- body thrashing on the bed and back arching as Kyungsoo worked her through her orgasm._

_When Zitao relaxed against the mattress, Kyungsoo pulled back and looked up at Zitao. Her chest was heaving and her eyes were glassy and she looked so ridiculously perfect._

_“More?” Kyungsoo asked, licking Zitao's slick off her lips._

_She may have been somewhat blind-sighted by Zitao's heat, but she knew enough to understand that one orgasm was rarely enough._

_Zitao blinked down at her, eyes still blown with want, “Yeah, but wait. Can I- I want to eat you out."_

_Kyungsoo wondered if it was possible to pass out from arousal._

_"Are you sure? Don't you want me to...do something?"she asked, even though the idea of Zitao eating her out had her pulsing with need- head spinning and heart pounding out of her chest._

_But Zitao didn't even answer her- just sat up and started divesting Kyungsoo of her clothing with frantic fingers, pushing her down onto the sweat-soaked sheets when she was naked._

_Kyungsoo didn't even have a chance to once again ask Zitao if she was sure because Zitao was already between her thighs, licking at her arousal like it was the best thing she'd ever tasted and Kyungsoo could do nothing but fall back onto the pillow and try to swallow down the groan at how good it felt._

_Zitao plunged her tongue inside of her and Kyungsoo gasped, feeling the way Zitao's nose was rubbing against her clit with every thrust of her tongue. This wasn't the first time Kyungsoo had had someone's head between her legs (thought it had, admittedly, been a while), but she couldn't ever remember anyone eating her like they wanted to devour her. It was wrecking her and she she knew she wouldn't last as long as she'd like._

_Zitao went back to lapping and sucking on her clit, moaning against her folds and sending vibrations through her that had her choking on the air in her lungs as she tried not to thrust up too harshly against Zitao's face._

_Glancing down at the catgirl between her legs, Kyungsoo was slammed with a fresh shock of arousal when she saw that Zitao was touching herself as she ate Kyungsoo out._

_That might have been the hottest thing the Kyungsoo had ever seen._

_With the knowledge that Zitao was finding pleasure from going down on her, every moan against her flesh due to the hand Zitao had between her own legs, Kyungsoo felt the rest of her control slipping away._

_It was only a couple of minutes more before Kyungsoo was seizing up and gasping out her pleasure as she came against Zitao's eager mouth- having to drag Zitao's face from between her thighs when it got to be too much._

_Zitao crawled up the bed and flopped down next to her, connecting their lips and instigating their first ever kiss. Kyungsoo hadn't ever had a first kiss with someone where she could taste herself on their tongue, but it wasn't something she was about to complain about._

_Kyungsoo could feel the way Zitao was still touching herself even as they kissed, so she batted her hand away and replaced it with her own, quickly making Zitao come and then come again when Zitao kept Kyungsoo's hand against her after she'd released the first time._

_Finally, after her back to back orgasms, Zitao relaxed against the bed, letting go of her vice grip on Kyungsoo's wrist._

_“Okay?” Kyungsoo asked, watching Zitao's eyes flutter open to meet hers. She could tell that Zitao's frantic arousal had ebbed by the clearness of her eyes._

_“Mm,” Zitao hummed, curling into her side, “Yeah. That's good for now. Thank you.”_

_“Don't mention it,” Kyungsoo told her, unsure of whether or not she meant that literally._

_Zitao was already asleep by the time she'd finished her sentence, though, so Kyungsoo decided to close her eyes as well. It had been an eventful evening._

\---

When Kyungsoo had finally finished eating (it had taken a mere fifteen minutes, though Zitao was acting as though it had been _hours_ ), she calmly carried her plate to the kitchen with Zitao hot on her heels.

“Want to help me with dishes?” she asked and the way Zitao's face fell was comical.

“ _Dishes_?” Zitao wailed, looking horrified.

“There aren't that many,” Kyungsoo assured her and Zitao looked like Kyungsoo had told her that she'd thrown away her entire wardrobe. Kyungsoo _may_ have had fun messing with her sometimes.

“Can we please, _please_ leave them for later?” she begged, looking so desperate that Kyungsoo felt a surge of heat zip through her, “Mistress, _please_.”

Kyungsoo pretended to consider her for a moment even though her mind was already three steps ahead of her, imagining peeling Zitao's lace panties down her perfect legs.

“Alright,” she conceded, watching relief and excitement flash over Zitao's face, “Just this once.”

Zitao nodded eagerly, fingers latched around Kyungsoo's wrist.

\---

_When Zitao had woken up a few hours later, she'd shyly thanked Kyungsoo for her help- looking some mix between giddy and embarrassed. She'd offered to sleep in her own bed that night so that Kyungsoo wouldn't be disturbed when her heat inevitably woke her up._

_Kyungsoo told her not to be ridiculous and to sleep in her bed as she always did. If Zitao's heat woke her in the middle of the night, she'd help her then, too. Zitao looked shocked, like she'd thought that it had been a one time thing. And while Kyungsoo thought that maybe it should have been, she couldn't deny how much she'd enjoyed it and how natural it had felt. She'd always had the preconception that any sexual relationship with a hybrid and their owner must have been weird and one-sided. But that wasn't how she'd felt with Zitao at all._

_That night, Zitao did end up waking her up when her heat had taken hold again and Kyungsoo helped her through it, just as she'd promised._

_The next morning Kyungsoo told her that she shouldn't ever hesitate to ask for help during her heats in the future, hesitantly adding that she could ask her for “help” even if she wasn't in heat._

_Zitao's eyes had grown wide at that, but then she'd smiled, coyly telling Kyungsoo that it went both ways._

_Despite herself, Kyungsoo had found herself flushing at the implication._

_But that didn't stop her from kissing Zitao when they were cuddled together on the couch later that day._

_And she was quite pleased when, two days later, Zitao had crawled between her legs and proceeded to eat her out before her alarm even went off._

_From there on out, it was pretty hard to deny that their relationship had transcended beyond hybrid and owner, and both of them were very happy with that._

\---

Kyungsoo allowed Zitao to pull her toward the bedroom- Zitao's heels clacking loudly against the floor and Kyungsoo's stocking-covered feet silent.

“Mistress,” Zitao whimpered when they were in the bedroom, leaning down for a kiss that Kyungsoo stopped with a hand on Zitao's shoulder.

Zitao whined.

“Are you going to be good for me, Taozi?” she asked, using the nickname that she often did when she was feeling particularly fond. It balanced out her seemingly unaffected countenance.

“Yes,” Zitao immediately agreed, stepping closer and looking down since she towered over her normally and right then, she was in heels and Kyungsoo was on flat feet.

Kyungsoo nodded, allowing just a quick brush of lips before pulling back.

“On the bed.”

Zitao hastily complied, crawling onto the mattress and scooting up so she was leaning against the pillows.

“You're very eager today,” Kyungsoo observed as she unzipped her pencil skirt and laid it out over the chair in the corner of the room.

“I've been thinking about this all day,” Zitao confessed, squirming a bit on the blankets.

“Shoes off,” Kyungsoo ordered as she worked her black stockings down her own legs and tossed them on top of her skirt, watching Zitao scramble to comply- heels hitting the floor with a heavy thump when Zitao tossed them away.

Dominant or not, Kyungsoo probably should have told her that she shouldn't throw her heels on the floor lest they damage the wood, but at that moment, she was wanting as well, so she opted to let it go for right then.

Unbuttoning her blouse, Kyungsoo stepped up to the bed.

“What do you want, Taozi?” she asked, watching the way Zitao's eyes were on the skin of her chest that was slowly being revealed.

“You. Anything,” Zitao answered, licking her lips and shifting again on the bed in a way that Kyungsoo knew was indicative of how wet she was.

Kyungsoo had an idea of what she wanted and she had a feeling that Zitao would enjoy it just as much.

“Lay down flat,” she told her, slipping the shirt off her pale shoulders and dropping it onto the floor.

Zitao did as she was told, hair fanned out underneath her like it had been carefully positioned to look beautiful even though, for once, Zitao wasn't concerned about what she looked like- too eager to have Kyungsoo's skin against hers.

Kyungsoo unhooked her bra- just a basic nude color, unlike Zitao's lace and mesh lingerie set- and let it fall to the floor as well.

Zitao whimpered where she lay, watching Kyungsoo strip down slowly. She knew what was coming and it had Kyungsoo's blood heating to know that Zitao wanted it as much as she did.

Pushing her underwear down, Kyungsoo climbed onto the bed fully naked and much more aroused than she let on. But her body would give her away- the slickness between her own thighs proof of the fact that she wanted just as much as Zitao.

“Ready?” she asked, slightly breathless as she anticipated Zitao's mouth against her.

Zitao nodded, gasping out, “Yes, Mistress.”

Kyungsoo climbed over her, straddling her face and holding onto the headboard for balance.

Slowly, she lowered her pelvis down so her arousal was hovering right over Zitao's mouth. She could feel Zitao's quick, hot breath against her and she shivered.

Zitao was trembling under her, wanting to lean up to taste so badly, but she knew that she had to wait for Kyungsoo's permission.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo told her and Zitao made a needy, desperate sound in her throat before she tilted her chin up and grasped onto Kyungsoo's soft thighs- tongue licking a delicate line over her wetness.

Kyungsoo inhaled sharply, muscles clenching as Zitao lightly licked at her clit before dragging her tongue lower to lap up the juices that were flowing from her.

The little groans Zitao made as she tasted her always had Kyungsoo's body flushing hot, desire coiling more tightly in her at every reminder of how much Zitao liked this.

Gripping the headboard more tightly, Kyungsoo rolled her hips down gently and heard, as well as felt, Zitao's moan against her folds.

Zitao's tongue was thrusting in and out of her slit and Kyungsoo moved her hips in tandem with the rhythm Zitao had started- pleasure surging through her and making her groan quietly.

One of Zitao's hands left it's place on her thigh to rub at her clit and Kyungsoo couldn't help the high-pitched sound she made at that, feeling Zitao's lips quirk against her.

Hips moving more forcefully now, Kyungsoo chased her release- feeling Zitao's ministrations increase in intensity.

Her thighs were trembling as she held herself up and rocked against Zitao's mouth- breath escaping from between her lips in harsh pants.

She was close and she knew that Zitao knew it from the way she was pressing just that much harder against her clit and thrusting her tongue in that much deeper.

There was a sheen of sweat on Kyungsoo's skin as she felt her orgasm closing in on her- the rhythm of her hips faltering just slightly.

“Zitao,” she gasped, squeezing her eyes closed against a surge of pleasure, “You're so good. You're so perfect.”

She knew how much Zitao loved to be praised and the resulting moan against her folds was proof of that. The vibrations were also what pushed Kyungsoo over the edge- her release wracking through her body as she ground her hips against Zitao's face hard enough that she knew it must have been making it hard for Zitao to breathe through her wetness. But Zitao was still moaning against her, so she didn't let up- riding out her orgasm against Zitao's mouth and feeling her head get light even as she came down.

Carefully climbing off of Zitao, Kyungsoo stretched out next to her on the mattress and let herself relax she she regained her breath.

Zitao was immediately pressed against her side, pressing wet kisses to Kyungsoo's jaw and neck as she fingers danced over her skin lightly.

“Was it good, Mistress?” Zitao asked after another minute of Kyungsoo breathing.

Kyungsoo turned her head to look at Zitao, letting her lips curve up slightly in a smile.

“It was wonderful,” she told her and watched Zitao beam, “You're so good for me, Taozi.”

Zitao leaned over and eagerly kissed Kyungsoo's lips- her own juices getting smeared against her skin and pushed into her mouth as Zitao's tongue curled against hers, but she didn't mind.

Kyungsoo could feel the way Zitao's hips were jerking against nothing as they kissed and she knew that Zitao must have been painfully turned on by then.

“You were so good,” Kyungsoo said again, lips brushing against Zitao's as she spoke, “I think you deserve to be rewarded.”

“Please, Mistress,” she begged, the languid pace of the kiss turning desperate, “I need you.”

“I've got you,” Kyungsoo told her, pulling back and sitting up.

Urging Zitao to roll onto her back, Kyungsoo leaned in to press a soft kiss against her lips before trailing her lips down over Zitao's jaw and neck, hands stroking lightly against her sides.

Kyungsoo could feel Zitao's tail hitting her with how agitated and worked up Zitao was- her body on edge and desperate for contact where she needed it.

Pressing kisses against her chest, Kyungsoo let her thumbs rub over Zitao's already peaked nipples through the mesh of the bra. She loved how she could see them- a darker brown than the skin of her breasts and pushing up against the sheer material. This really might have been Kyungsoo's favorite get-up of Zitao's. She'd have to tell her later.

For the time being, she pulled one of the cups down and lave against the stiff flesh- feeling Zitao shiver against her and gasp.

Repeating the same thing on the other breast, Kyungsoo slid further down her body and pressed soft, reverent kisses against Zitao's stomach.

Zitao's muscles were clenching more and more erratically the closer Kyungsoo got to her core, but still, she took her time.

Thumbs stroking against Zitao's hips, Kyungsoo moved down to press her lips to the flesh of Zitao's thighs not covered by the black nylon of her stockings.

Zitao spread her legs eagerly as Kyungsoo bit lightly at the skin of her inner thighs, working her way up to the apex of her legs where she could see a dark stain on Zitao's panties.

Kyungsoo couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since Zitao had soaked through her panties. Had she just gotten that wet from Kyungsoo sitting on her face? Or had she been that wet all though dinner? Had she been that wet before Kyungsoo had even gotten home?

The idea of Zitao squirming in arousal as she waited for Kyungsoo to come home had Kyungsoo letting out a groan against the crease of her thigh- lips brushing over the edge of the lace panties.

“Please, Mistress, _please_ ,” Zitao begged, hands finding Kyungsoo's head and just resting lightly against it- not wanting to push when it was Kyungsoo who was calling the shots.

Kyungsoo leaned forward and pressed her lips against the wet spot on Zitao's underwear, the smell of her arousal heady and potent, and Zitao keened, hips jerking against her desperately.

Deciding that Zitao had waited long enough, Kyungsoo reached up and hooked her fingers into the waistband of the underwear and slowly pulled them down.

Zitao was already breathing hard by the time Kyungsoo was tossing the flimsy, damp fabric to the floor, legs spreading impossibly wider for every second that Kyungsoo wasn't touching her where she wanted it.

“Hands and knees,” Kyungsoo requested and Zitao was quick to comply, muscles shivering as she turned over and pushed herself up on her hands and knees.

Kyungsoo put her own knee between Zitao's legs and knocked them further apart so she was spread wide before pulling up at her hips so her pelvis was titled so Kyungsoo could easily get at her folds.

Zitao dropped to her elbows, tail swishing in the air agitatedly as she waited for Kyungsoo to touch her.

Bracing her hands against the backs of Zitao's thighs, palms sliding against the material of her thigh-highs and fingers digging into warm flesh, Kyungsoo leaned down and licked a stripe up Zitao's arousal.

Zitao choked on a moan, forehead pressed into her pillow as her hips jerked back.

Flattening her tongue, Kyungsoo dragged it roughly against Zitao's folds and held her hips still as Zitao trembled.

The throbbing against her tongue and the wetness coating her chin were indications of how close Zitao already was to losing it- just needing a push to get her over the edge.

But Kyungsoo wanted to drag it out just a little.

She wouldn't edge her for hours like she had that one time, but she _did_ want it to last longer than three minutes.

“Don't come until I tell you that you can,” Kyungsoo reminded her, taking Zitao's whimper as an indication that she'd heard her.

Pressing a finger into Zitao's body, Kyungsoo smirked at the choked whine it elicited as well as the vice-like grip of Zitao's hot and slick walls around her appendage.

Zitao was pushing her hips back incessantly, effectively fucking herself on Kyungsoo's mostly stationary finger. Kyungsoo did nothing stop stop her, simply watching Zitao press back onto her finger as she moaned and clenched around her tightly. There was desperation in every one of Zitao's movements and in every sound that escaped her lips and Kyungsoo was loving every minute of it.

Zitao looked gorgeous, tan skin slick with sweat, the lace of her bra digging into her back, tail wrapped around her own thigh in an attempt to keep herself under control, and her core wet and pink and swollen.

She was truly the most stunning being that Kyungsoo had ever laid eyes on.

Holding Zitao's hips still for just a few seconds, Kyungsoo inserted a second finger into her pulsing body before she allowed Zitao to start to fuck back on her fingers again.

“Kyung- _Mistress_ ,” Zitao wailed, body clamping down hard as a wave of pleasure overtook her, “Can I please come?”

It was a testament of how worked up Zitao had been before Kyungsoo had even touched her, because she usually needed Kyungsoo playing with her clit as well in order to come. But here she was, rocking back into Kyungsoo's hand desperately- ready to come from working herself onto Kyungsoo's fingers.

“Not yet, Taozi,” Kyungsoo told her, rubbing a soothing hand up her spine and making her back arch.

Zitao whimpered and slammed back hard enough that Kyungsoo's hand was knocked back with the force.

Kyungsoo could feel the throbbing of Zitao's walls around her fingers and knew that she really was on the verge of losing it completely.

“Hold on,” she said softly, “Stop for a minute.”

The wail Zitao let out was agonized as Kyungsoo used her free hand to grasp Zitao's hips and still her movements.

“Can you turn on your back again?” Kyungsoo asked, pulling her fingers out of Zitao's pulsing channel and eliciting a whine of disappointment, “I want to see your face when you come.”

Zitao trembled as she turned over, laying down against the blanket and immediately pulling her legs up to her chest without being asked- knees by her shoulders and Zitao's hands hooked behind her knees to hold herself open.

“Such a good girl,” Kyungsoo praised and Zitao whined, shaking with need.

Kyungsoo leaned forward and lapped at Zitao's arousal again, pulling a high-pitched cry from her throat when she licked at Zitao's sensitive and swollen clit.

Pressing two fingers into her again, Kyungsoo continued to lave over Zitao's clit as she pumped her fingers in and out- feeling the way Zitao's walls were rippling around her fingers and the way her slick flesh trembled against her lips. She was so close, but she was holding back because Kyungsoo had told her to. Kyungsoo felt her chest bloom with warmth at how much Zitao strove to be good for her.

Pulling back to see Zitao's face, Kyungsoo kept her fingers moving in and out of her body.

“Do you want to come?” she asked, as though every fiber of Zitao's being wasn't obviously screaming for release.

“ _Yes_ ,” Zitao sobbed, shaking with the effort of holding back her orgasm, “Yes, _please_. I need to come so badly. _Mistress. Please_.”

“You _have_ been such a good girl,” Kyungsoo allowed and Zitao whimpered in response.

With her free hand, Kyungsoo began circling Zitao's clit with two fingers.

Zitao sobbed, mouth hanging open and eyes squeezed shut.

“Zitao, look at me,” she requested and watched as Zitao's eyelids fluttered as she fought against the instinct to keep them closed.

Her eyes were glassy and her pupils were blown so wide her eyes were nearly black.

“Mistress, _please_ ,” she begged again, “I need it. Please make me come.”

Kyungsoo didn't say anything as her fingers continued to work at Zitao's core.

Zitao sobbed again, this time causing tears of desperation to slide down her temples and into her hair. But still, she watched Kyungsoo's face as she'd asked.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo finally said, fingers picking up speed, “You can come.”

Zitao cried out loudly, face painted with pleasure so intense, it looked almost like pain. She tossed her head back, collar digging into the skin of her neck, as her muscles locked up as she released- hips jerking forward and clit throbbing hard against Kyungsoo's fingers.

Even as she came down from her high, her body twitched- pleasure still running through her as Kyungsoo's touch softened before, finally, pulling away completely.

Kyungsoo crawled up the bed to lie down next to Zitao, stroking her hair soothingly as she caught her breath.

When she started to purr, Kyungsoo knew that she was finally beginning to calm down.

Blinking her eyes open sleepily, Zitao looked over at her and smiled before curling into her side and throwing a leg over her thighs- tail swishing back and forth lazily.

Zitao was all softness then- sleepy and sated and craving nothing more than cuddles.

No matter how many times Kyungsoo saw her in that state, she found herself melting just a little more.

Tilting her head, Kyungsoo pressed a kiss to Zitao's cheek, feeling the give of the smooth skin against her lips.

“Don't sleep yet,” she said softly and Zitao made a little mewling sound as she buried her face in Kyungsoo's neck, “We have to get cleaned up. And there are still dishes in the sink.”

Zitao whined, displeased, and Kyungsoo chuckled.

“If you help me with the dishes, we can take a bath afterward,” she promised and she saw Zitao's ears prick in interest at that.

Zitao had come to love luxurious bubble baths with good smelling bath oils and soft music playing in the background. And while she sometimes took baths alone, she'd conspiratorially told Kyungsoo that having her in the bathtub with her, slick skin sliding against hers under the surface of the water, was her favorite part.

“Come on,” Kyungsoo tried again, and Zitao allowed herself to pulled from the bed even as she made little unhappy sounds in her throat.

Helping Zitao remove her lacy bra and thigh-highs before slipping a robe over her bare shoulders, Kyungsoo allowed herself to be continuously pulled into sweet kisses that had her smiling against Zitao's lips.

Getting Zitao had completely turned her life upside down- suddenly having someone else to consider and be responsible for aside from herself. But as she pulled a giggling and half protesting Zitao with her to the kitchen to do the dinner dishes, there was no doubt in her mind that the change had been for the better.

Zitao was very possibly the best thing that had ever happened to her. She filled a hole in Kyungsoo's life that she hadn't even known was there until it was filled and now she couldn't imagine her life without the playful, moody, and loving catgirl.

But even though it had all been Lu Han's doing, Kyungsoo refused to give Lu Han any credit (not that it mattered- Lu Han was inordinately pleased with herself, anyway). All of the credit went to Zitao with her sweet smiles and big heart.

Standing at the sink next to Zitao, who kept hip checking her and then giggling, Kyungsoo found herself smiling as her heart swelled. She hadn't ever thought she could love like this. But as Zitao swatted at her playfully with her tail, it appeared that anything was possible.

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from _Rolling Stone_ by Niykee Heaton.
> 
> Follow me on [tumblr](http://g-odalisque13.tumblr.com/) if you are so inclined ^^


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